COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
After a small scare in a double overtime thriller at No. 15 Dartmouth Wednesday, the second-ranked Maryland women's lacrosse team returns to ACC action with a match against Boston College on Saturday at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. The game is set to kick off at noon.

The Terps were forced into overtime for the first time this season but a game-winner from Karri Ellen Johnson with two minutes remaining in the second extra session lifted Maryland over the Big Green, 13-12. It was the fifth-straight win over a ranked opponent and preserved the Terps' perfect 7-0 record.

Johnson continues to shine in her rookie campaign, leading Maryland in goals with 24. Sophomore Sarah Mollison and junior Caitlyn McFadden also pace the youth-laden Terrapin squad with 31 and 30 points, respectively.

Following Saturday's contest, Maryland will head back on the road with a midweek game at Towson at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

TERPS AIM FOR 20th CONSECUTIVE DANCE
 Maryland returns hungry for a championship this season, aiming to land a 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid in 2009.
 The Terps ended the 2008 campaign with its highest win total since 2003 (18 wins) and suffered only three losses on the year, including one in the ACC Tournament and the other in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
 Maryland returns four starters from a year ago, including All-American Caitlyn McFadden. Other returning starters include midfielder Amanda Spinnenweber and defenders Katie Gallagher and Karissa Taylor.

NEW FACES
 Maryland women's lacrosse fans will need to get accustomed to a few new faces this season, as the Terps added seven to its roster in 2009.
 Six freshman and one sophomore transfer newly dot the roster.
 Below is a quick rundown of this year's newbies:

#27 Brittany Poist * Sophomore * D
- led the nation in caused turnovers as a freshman at Louisville
- tenth in the country in ground balls with 54
- Wendy's High School Heisman Award winner while enrolled at North Carroll High School

#5 Grace Gaeng * Freshman * M
- two-sport standout (lax and soccer) at John Carroll HS in Bel Air
- also played lacrosse for the Skywalkers

#18 Karri Ellen Johnson * Freshman * A
- won World Championship with U-19 women's lacrosse national team
- high school Tewaarton winner in 2007

#21 Mary Jordan * Freshman * G
- team MVP, All-Galaxy and Under Armour All-American at St. Mary's HS
- also played four years with CCLAX

#22 Elizabeth Hamilton * Freshman * D
- excelled in both lacrosse and field hockey as a prep athlete at Roland Park Country
- first team All-City in lacrosse in 2007 and 2008

#43 Brittany Dipper * Freshman * G
- four-time first team All-Olympic Conference selection
- All-New Jersey pick as a senior and member of U-19 N.J. National Team

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
 Boston College heads into this weekend's match with a 6-2 record after downing Holy Cross, 15-7, on Wednesday.
 The Eagles are currently in the basement of the ACC standings after falling to Virginia Tech, 16-14, in its lone conference contest this season.
 BC has dropped Canisius (18-13), Niagara (20-1), Lehigh (19-8) and Brown (13-5) while falling to Fairfield (12-19) and Virginia Tech.
 The Eagles are led offensively by the tandem of Jenna McCabe (24g, 14a) and Lauren Costello (21g, 10a). Katie Monaghan patrols the cage for the Eagles, surrendering 69 goals while tallying 70 saves. A total of 15 different players have scored goals for BC this season.
 Maryland leads the all-time series, 4-0, and has defeated the Eagles by an average of 9.5 goals per game.

TOPPING THE CHARTS - TERPS WOMEN'S LACROSSE
 The Terps have been invited to the NCAA Tournament a total of 24 times which is more than any other team in the country. Virginia, which is second, made its 21st appearance in the postseason.
 Maryland has played the most games in the tournament (51) and has the most wins with a 37-15 record. Virginia is second in games played with 46 while Princeton has 29 wins which is second.
 The Terps have won nine NCAA Championships which is five more than the second place team. Northwestern has won its first four national titles the last four seasons while Princeton and Virginia also have three to their names.
 Maryland has won the most overtime games in the NCAA Tournament with a 6-0 record.
 The Terps have more wins than any other two-loss team entering the tournament in NCAA history. Duke (2006), Hofstra (2001), and Lafayette (1989) previously had the most with 16-2 records.
 Maryland has the longest winning streak in NCAA Tournament history with 21 consecutive victories from 1995-2002 and have appeared in 16 title games, more than any other school.
 Heading into the 2009 campaign, Maryland has more wins than any other program in the country, totaling in at 495 and also boast the top winning percentage (.801).

MCFADDEN LANDS ON U.S. WORLD CUP TEAM
 Maryland junior Caitlyn McFadden was one of 18 players selected to compete for the United States in the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse World Cup from June 17-27 in the Czech Republic. The team was selected following the Champion® Challenge event in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., the first weekend in February.
 McFadden, who boasted All-American honors as a sophomore, is one of six current collegiate players to be named to the team. The junior from Phoenix, Md., tallied 27 goals and 27 assists a year ago.
 In addition to McFadden, former Terp Acacia Walker was also named to the team. Walker played for the Terps from 2002-05 and was a two-time All-American. Walker is currently the associate head coach at UMass. Current Maryland assistant coach and former Terp standout Quinn Carney was named as an alternate. Carney was a four-time national champion and two-time All-American for the Terps. She was a member of the U.S. World Cup champion squad in 2001 and then earned a silver medal in 2005, where she was named to the All-World Team.

MOLLISON AND MERRIFIELD SELECTED TO PLAY IN WORLD CUP
 Sophomores Sarah Mollison and Laura Merrifield will compete for the Australian and English national teams, respectively, at this summer's International Federation of Lacrosse World Cup in Prague.
 Mollison, a sophomore from Melbourne, was one of the youngest members of the 2005 Australian World Cup team that won the championship. Mollison has won seven Australian championships as a member of the U-21 and U-17 Victorian junior national teams. As a Terrapin, the midfielder racked up eight goals and six assists in her rookie campaign in 2008. She also tallied seven groundballs and a pair of draw controls in 18 games played.
 Merrifield, a sophomore from Hertfordshire, played in 17 contests last season. The midfielder notched 10 goals and one assist with two draw controls and six caused turnovers. She was a member of the U-19 All-World Team and a co-captain of the U-19 England squad.

TRADITION NEVER GRADUATES
 Just as so many Terps have done in the past, this season the torch has been passed down to yet another group of players looking to keep Maryland women's lacrosse front and center in the national spotlight.
 The Terps benefited from a plethora of senior leadership last season, including Tewaarton finalists Dana Dobbie and Kelly Kasper. Dobbie captured ACC Player of the Year honors as a junior and a senior, while Kasper exited Maryland as one of its most prolific players, ranking fifth in assists and seventh in points all-time. Dobbie and Kasper were two-time and three-time All-Americans, respectively.
 Caitlyn McFadden is poised to be the next in line of Terp greats, already notching All-ACC and All-America honors as a sophomore. The junior midfielder is a preseason All-American by several publications this season.

2009 CAPTAINS NAMED
 Head coach Cathy Reese and the Maryland women's lacrosse team named Caitlyn McFadden, Amanda Spinnenweber and Karissa Taylor captains for the 2009 season.
 The announcement comes on the cusp of McFadden being tabbed to the 2009 U.S. World Cup Team, which will compete in the Czech Republic this summer. The junior is the Terps top returner this season after notching 27 goals and 27 assists for a Maryland squad that finished 18-3 in 2008. McFadden earned All-America honors in addition to landing on the All-ACC team.
 Spinnenweber is also a returning starter and is poised to make an increased impact in the midfield this season. The junior from Pasadena, Md., netted 18 goals and dished out three assists a year ago and appeared in 17 games as a freshman.
 Taylor is one of the top returning defenders for Maryland this season after starting in all 20 games as a sophomore in 2008. The Easton, Md.-native tallied 26 groundballs and 20 draw controls last season.

TERPS TAKE ON TOUGH SLATE
 The Maryland women's lacrosse team has once again assembled a challenging slate for the 2009 season as the Terps face seven teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.
 Maryland will be tested early, taking on two ACC foes in its first four contests when the Terps face Duke Feb. 28 and Virginia March 6.
 The Terps return to the Maryland area with matches at Georgetown March 11, in College Park against New Hampshire March 15, and at Towson March 24 before heading to the annual ACC/ALC Challenge in Columbus, Ohio to battle Penn State and Ohio State. Maryland also welcomes Boston College and Stanford in the month of March and heads to James Madison March 27.
 Maryland gets back to conference play with a contest against North Carolina at home on April 11 and continues the home stand with a game three days later against Johns Hopkins on April 14. Both squads will help prep Maryland for the 2009 ACC Tournament April 23-26 at Virginia Tech.
Prior to NCAA Tournament time, the Terps will play Princeton at home May 2.

TWO STEPPIN'
 In consecutive games, Maryland managed to top the No. 2 team in the country when they dropped Duke and Virginia.
 When ranked fifth, the Terps topped Duke at home before earning a No. 3-ranking the next week and defeating No. 2 Virginia on the road.

PROTECT THIS HOUSE
 Maryland is 20-1 at home under third-year head coach Cathy Reese.
 Maryland was a perfect 9-0 in College Park in 2007, going 5-0 at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, 3-0 at Ludwig Field, and 1-0 at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium.
 Maryland saw its home winning streak come to a halt at 17 games when they fell to Duke in the NCAA Quarterfinals to end the 2008 season.
 The Terps have won all four games in which they have played an opponent ranked No. 1 or No. 2 at home in the past three seasons and have done it in three different locations.
 The Terps are 160-15 in College Park dating back to 1990 with 10 perfect seasons in that span.
 Records of home and away games are incomplete from 1974-89.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
 The underclassmen for Maryland have been nothing short of spectacular for Maryland this season.
 61 percent (100 points) of the Terps' scoring comes via the freshman and sophomore classes. The youth have also been responsible for 60 percent (67g) of the goal scoring.
 Freshman Karri Ellen Johnson leads Maryland in goals with 24 while sophomore Sarah Mollison paces the Terps in points (31) and assists (16).

FAST START
 Maryland, compliments of its 7-0 record, is in the midst of its best start since 2003. That season, the Terps needed extra periods to down Duke and Syracuse and went on to win 11 of its first contests before losing to James Madison. The Terps went to the NCAA semifinals that season.
 This is the best start for the Terps under the tutelage of head coach Cathy Reese. Her previous best was in 2007, when Maryland jumped out to a 5-0 record before losing to Virginia.

MARYLAND SLIPS PAST NO. 15 DARTMOUTH
 The No. 2 Maryland women's lacrosse team needed two extra sessions to get past its fifth-straight ranked opponent but a goal by Karri Ellen Johnson in the second overtime helped Maryland avoid the upset and defeat No. 15 Dartmouth, 13-12, at Scully Fahey Field.
 The Terps outshot the Big Green, 37-20, and won all four critical draw controls in the overtime periods. Laura Merrifield and Johnson each led the Terrapin offense with three goals while Caitlyn McFadden, Sarah Mollison and Brandi Jones tallied three points apiece off a goal and two assists. Jones added three ground balls and three caused turnovers while Merrifield paced Maryland with five draw controls.
 It was the first time this season that Maryland has been forced into overtime. The Terps improved to 7-0 following the win.

TERPS TROUNCE NO. 13 NEW HAMPSHIRE
 The No. 2 Maryland women's lacrosse team, led by five goals from Laura Merrifield, used a total team effort to down No. 13 New Hampshire, 19-7, at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
 A total of 27 Terps saw action in Sunday's rain-soaked match as Maryland tallied its highest scoring output this season en route to moving to 6-0 on the season. Three goalies, paced by Brittany Dipper's ten saves, combined to give up a mere seven goals to the Wildcats - a team that entered the game averaging nearly 14 goals a contest.
 Nine different Terps scored for Maryland in its fourth-straight win against a nationally-ranked foe. Caitlyn McFadden led Maryland with six points on three goals and three assists while Karri Ellen Johnson and Brittany Jones added three goals apiece.

NO. 2 TERPS HOLD ON, TOP NO. 8 HOYAS
 Maryland possessed an early lead and held on tight, downing its third top ten-ranked opponent in a row with a road win against No. 8 Georgetown, 14-12, at Multi-Sport Field.
 The Terps moved to 5-0 on the year while Georgetown fell to 3-2. Brittany Dipper had seven saves at goalie for the win. Brandi Jones had three goals and one assist while Caitlyn McFadden added two goals and two assists to lead the Terp offense.

MOLLISON NETS SIX AS TERPS ROUT UVA
 For the second straight week, Maryland ousted the No. 2 team in the country, defeating Virginia in commanding fashion, 17-11, on the road at Klockner Stadium.
 The victory avenged a 10-9 loss to Cavaliers in last season's ACC title game.
For the fourth straight game, a different player led the Terps in scoring as Sarah Mollison led the way with six goals. Karri Ellen Johnson added four goals and a game-high seven draw controls. Maryland outshot Virginia, 28-20, and secured three more draw controls than UVA.
 The win avenged a pair of losses to the Blue Devils in 2008, including one that knocked the Terps from the NCAA Tournament.

MOLLISON PICKS UP ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOD
 Attacker Sarah Mollison was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Lacrosse Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, March 8. Mollison helped the third-ranked Terrapins to a 17-11 upset over second-ranked Virginia on the road at Klockner Stadium.
 Mollison led Maryland to its second win over a team ranked in the top two in the country Friday as the Terps defeated Virginia. The sophomore scored a career-high six goals and added an assist to best her career-mark in points with seven. She also added a caused turnover and connected on six of her seven shots attempted on the night to move Maryland to 4-0 on the year.
 It was the second week in a row the Terps staked claim to the award as Laura Merrifield earned the honor the week prior.

MERRIFIELD SHINES AS TERPS TOP NO. 2 DUKE
 Maryland remained perfect on the season with a pivotal ACC win, 15-13, against No. 2 Duke at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
 Laura Merrifield led the Terps with five goals while Caitlyn McFadden added three assists and a goal for four points. Amanda Spinnenweber had three goals and an assist. Karri Ellen Johnson paced Maryland with four draw controls in addition to scoring three goals. Karissa Taylor and Katie Gallagher led the defense with three groundballs and three caused turnovers, respectively.
 The win avenged a pair of losses to the Blue Devils in 2008, including one that knocked the Terps from the NCAA Tournament.

MERRIFIELD NAMED ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
 Sophomore Laura Merrifield was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Lacrosse Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, March 1. Merrifield helped the fifth-ranked Terrapins to a 15-13 upset over No. 2 league-foe Duke at Maryland's Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
 The midfielder from Hertfordshire, England, made her 2009 debut in the Terps' lineup and picked up a career-high five goals to lead fifth-ranked Maryland past No. 2 Duke. Merrifield had been sidelined with an injury the first two contests of the 2009 season. The sophomore also added two ground balls and one draw control.
 Merrifield was also named WomensLax.com Player of the Week.

MARYLAND OUTLASTS UMASS, 16-4
 The UMass women's lacrosse team did all it could to stall the sixth-ranked Terps, but Maryland's offense eventually broke out, racking up 12 goals in the second half en route to a 16-4 win at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
 McFadden set a career-high for goals in a game (7) and point total (8). Mollison also had a career-day, notching bests in goals (3), assists (5) and points (8). The Terps offense has combined for 33 goals in its first two games. Brandi Jones led the Terps with two draw controls, while Mollison, McFadden and Maeve McKew all added two groundballs as Maryland won the groundball battle, 11-4. The Terrapin defense was tremendous, allowing only ten Minutewomen shots.

TERPS DROP RICHMOND, 17-6
 Freshman Karri Ellen Johnson scored five goals and the sixth-ranked Maryland women's lacrosse team opened up the 2009 campaign with win, defeating Richmond, 17-6, Sunday afternoon at First Market Stadium.
 Johnson led all players with five goals and five draw controls while Mollison had a career-high three assists. The Jones sister (Brittany and Brandi) tandem combined for seven points on five goals and two assists. Katie Gallagher and Brittany Poist led the Maryland defense with three groundballs a piece.

JOHNSON PICKS UP AWARD AFTER STRONG SHOWING V. RICHMOND
 Freshman Karri Ellen Johnson started off what looks to be an illustrious career with the Terps with a five-goal showing in a win against Richmond.
 For her efforts, the attacker picked up womenslax.com's Rookie of the Week award, the first to be distributed this season.

MARYLAND DOMINATES ENGLAND IN EXHIBITION
 The Terps went on a tear to kick off the game against England, notching ten goals in the first half en route to a 16-3 win at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
 Karri Ellen Johnson shined for Maryland in her first action in College Park, tallying five goals and an assist to lead the Maryland attack.
 Brandi Jones added a pair of scores and three assists while Alex Mavris and Karissa Taylor each scored twice.
 Freshman Mary Jordan surrendered only three goals in her first action and tallied three saves.
 Caitlyn McFadden, Brittany Jones, Alexcia Niumatalolo, Abby Caso and Helen McCutcheon all found their way on the scoreboard as well, scoring a goal apiece.
 Maryland won the draw control battle 13-5, while out-shooting England, 31-10.

WMUC ON THE CALL
 Exciting Maryland women's lacrosse action will once again be available via the internet at www.wmucsports.com.lacrosse action will once again be available via the internet at www.wmucsports.com.21, 2009